There is so much information out there on dogs it's dizzying. And that's good! There really can never be too much knowledge about any subject. But is the information all true? Like everything in life, new discoveries are constantly being made and when that happens, many times, it means certain information we thought was once true has become dated and, quite frankly, inaccurate. So that's where we come in. This week we're going to give you a few topics that were once considered to be a fact, and some that have become just plain misconceptions.
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1. They lick their noses alot. Most dogs have pretty large (yet beautiful!) noses. When they eat, their noses get dirty. They lick them to clean them off. Dogs also lick their noses to keep them cool in hot temperatures.
2. They pick up moisture from smelling wet grass, plants, etc.
3. Wet canine noses are perfectly designed for tracking. When a dog's nose is wet scent molecules stick to it, making it much easier for a dog to track prey and do search and rescue work. That is why the breeds with the highest developed sniffers are used in tracking.
So next time your dog's nose is dry, there's no need to rush him to the vet. It's only dry because there is no need at that moment for it to be wet!
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Herding dogs: These breeds were bred to NOT walk beside the shepherd. If they did, however would they herd sheep, cattle, etc? So walking in front of you is their proper place.
Sporting Dogs: This includes retrievers, spaniels (other than cavaliers), pointers and the Viszla. How could these dogs assist the hunter in pointing toward the fowl, flushing out the fowl, and retrieving the fowl if they are standing next to them?
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Hounds: These expert trackers could never lead the hunter to any prey, or do any search and rescue work, standing next to a human.
Sled Dogs: If you have a Husky, Malamute or a Samoyed who doesn't want to pull you down the street, get them to the vet immediately! There is no other group that is more "entitled" to pulling you ,due to the fact they were specifically bred to pull a sled and/or freight.
Please note we are not encouraging your dogs to drag you down the street. What you ideally want is a dog walking in front of you in a relaxed pace, preferably not pulling. But keep in mind they will pull when they spot a cat or squirrel and/or pick up the scent of something great. And they're not wrong for doing this.
DOGS HUMPING MEANS THEY'RE AGGRESSIVE OR... WELL YOU KNOW! (begins with an h, ends in a y, with orn in between):
Dogs hump for many reasons:
Dominance: One dog decides to claim a higher Pack-status over the other dog so he (and sometimes she) will hump to do this.
To Play: Let's face it, if a dog wants to get another dog's attention to say "Hey I'm here lets play!", there is no more effective way than a little good old humping to get the point across!
Control: You will sometimes see a canine pack leader do this to a lower-status pack member acting erratically. Humping the lower-status dog literally stops them in their tracks and helps to calm them down.
Procreate: Now for the obvious. An unneutered male who finds a female "in season" may, of course, want to start a family with her because that's what they're supposed to do.
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1. The obvious first reason is that the dog is friendly. The tail will wag back and forth and might even wag in circles accompanied by a part of the body wagging. The mouth is relaxed and the ears are not forward. This is a happy, excited dog. The worse this one might do is jump on you or your dog with excitement.
2. The other wagging is called "flagging" and this is indeed a red flag. The ears of the dog will be forward. The body will be stiff, except the tail. Expert behaviorist Patricia McConnell (whose readings we cannot recommend highly enough), calls this a "phony grin". It's used to lure a dog closer for an aggressive encounter. It's also used to spread the pheromones emitted from their anus, letting the other dog know this he or she is "big man on campus, king of the jungle" and just an overall bad ass and/or bully. Far too many dogs have been injured by this myth. We saw this repeatedly back in our dog park days. Luckily, we knew the difference and were able to avoid our dogs becoming a victim. But so many others said "the dog's tail was wagging. He/she looked friendly!" as they were in tears, carrying their dog to the car for a fast trip to the vet.
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So that wraps things up for this week. We hope you have enjoyed it and found it informative and useful. We always love to hear your comments which can of course be your own experiences regarding any topic we cover. See you in two weeks!
I had COMPLETELY forgotten about Savannah's lip curl smile! Thanks for the lovely memories!
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